Equipment for supplying containers filled with cigarettes to the supply hopper charging mechanism of cigarette packeting machines

ABSTRACT

Equipment for supplying containers filled with cigarettes to the supply hopper charging mechanism on cigarette packeting machines, in conjunction with means for overhead conveying said containers from the cigarette making machines to a cigarette packeting machine. The equipment comprises a pair of conveyors, the driven surfaces of which are essentially horizontal, means for receiving containers filled with cigarettes and for returning containers which have been emptied; a pair of lifting devices, one for each conveyor, for receiving and returning with the assistance of a pusher-follower, the individual containers full of cigarettes and those which are empty; and pusher-follower means with which to cause the containers full of cigarettes to be taken to the aforementioned charging mechanism from the respective lifting devices and the empty containers to be returned from the charging mechanism to the lifting device in question.

a Ilnnted Mates atent 1 3,929,238 Seragnoli, deceased et a1. Dec. 30, 1975 EQUIPMENT FOR SUPPLYING 3,655,080 4/1972 Gianese 214/302 CONTAINERS FILLE H CIGARETTES 3,679,079 7/1972 Seragn0li.. 214/302 To THE SUPPLY HOPPER CHARGING 3,774,791 11/1973 Bomfleth 214/302 OF CIGARETTE PACKETING Primary ExaminerRobert J. Spar S Assistant ExaminerLawrence J. Oresky [75] Inventors: Ariosto Seragnoli, deceased, late of Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Robert E. Burns;

Bologna, Italy; by Elazar Emmanuel J. Lobato; Bruce L. Adams Romano, legal representative, Bologna, Italy [57] ABSTRACT 73 Assigneez Societa in Accomandita Equipment for supplying containers filled with ciga- Semplice di Enzo seragnoli e Ariosto rettes to the supply hopper charging mechamsm on seragnoli, Italy cigarette packeting machines, in conjunction with means for overhead conveying said containers from Flledl 1973 the cigarette making machines to a cigarette packeting [2]] Appl NOJ 423,179 machine. The equipment comprises a pair of conveyors, the driven surfaces of which are essentially horizontal, means for receiving containers filled with ciga- Foreign Application Priority Data rettes and for returning containers which have been Mar. 1, 1973 Italy 3343/73 emptied; a pair of lifting devices, one for each conveyor, for receiving and returning with the assistance [52] US. Cl 2141/89; 198/20 C; 198/76; of a pusher-follower, the individual containers full of 214/302 cigarettes and those which are empty; and pusher- [51] Int. Cl. B60B 17/00 follower means with which to cause the containers full [58] Field of Search 214/302, 312, 313, 314, of cigarettes to be taken to the aforementioned charg- 214/89, 13; 198/20 C, 76, 77 ing mechanism from the respective lifting devices and the empty containers to be returned from the charging [56] References Cited mechanism to the lifting device in question.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures 3,486,647 12/1969 Seragnoli 214/302 II/I/lll/l/IIlI/ll ll IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII- US. Patent Dec.30, 1975 Sheet 1 of7 3,929,238

US. Patent Dec. 30, 1975 Sheet20f7 3,929,238

US. Patent Dec. 30, 1975 Sheet 3 of7 3,929,238

U, amt Dec. 30, 1975 SheetS of? 3,929,23

HQHI US. Patent Dec. 30, 1975 Sheet6 of7 3,929,238

US. Patent Dec. 30, 1975 Sheet 7 of 7 3,929,238

EQUIPMENT FOR SUPPLYING CONTAINERS FILLED WITH CIGARETTES TO THE SUPPLY HOPPER CHARGING MECHANISM OF CIGARETTE PACKETING MACHINES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to equipment for feeding cigarettes to supply hoppers on cigarette packeting machines. It relates particularly to equipment forfeeding cigarettes by containers or trays, previously filled with cigarettes, to a supply hopper charging mechanism on said cigarette packeting machines.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Cigarette packeting machines are, as is known, fed with cigarettes delivered to their batching and supply hoppers through manual, automatic or semi-automatic operations.

With the increase'in the unit operating speed of the packeting machines, such as, for example, the high speed packeting machine according to U.S. Pat. No. 3,628,309 produced by the same Applicant as herein, it has been seen that it is evermore necessary for the cigarettes to be supplied to said batching and supply hoppers in an automatic fashion.

At present the automatic infeed is based on what is known as direct infeed, that is to say, with the exit of the cigarette making machines directly linked up to the packeting machines batching and supply hopper, as, for example, is the case according to U.S. Pat. No. 3,495,739 by the same Applicant as herein. It is also known to have the cigarettes supplied to said hoppers in previously filled containers or trays which arrive at the emptying position in the hoppers either automatically or semi-automatically, as, for example, is the case according to another U.S. Pat. in the name of the same Applicant as herein, No. 3,486,647.

The present invention relates to this latter form of automatic infeed, in which containers or trays, previously filled with cigarettes, are used.

As is known, at the present time the containers or trays, filled with cigarettes, are transferred from the vicinity of the exits on the cigarette making machines to the vicinity of the entry point to the packeting machines hopper means by means of low level or overhead conveyors. The overhead conveyor is also known as a transfer. It is provided with a device for delivering full containers and returning empty containers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In apparatus according to the present invention the hopper charging mechanism on packeting machines is provided with equipment able to have containers or trays, both filled with cigarettes and empty, automatically moved forward and withdrawn by conveyors which, in itself, are either automatic or semiautomatic and, in particular, by an overhead conveyor device for delivering full containers and returning empty containers, to and from the vicinity of hopper means said packeting machines.

The apparatus includes a pair of lower conveyors, the driven surfaces of which are approximately horizontal. They are fitted with means which cause them to receive containers filled with cigarettes and to return containers which have been emptied, and a pair of lifting devices, one for each lower conveyor, for receiving and returning with the assistance of an upper pusher-follower, the individual containers full of cigarettes and those which are empty; and container hold means newly and characteristically associated with the lifting devices and lower conveyors to facilitate transfers of containers therebetween.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows, diagrammatically, a front view of a preferred embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a part thereof;

FIG. 3 shows the part of the equipment illustrated in FIG. 2 but as a lateral view with certain parts in sectional form so that others can be seen more clearly;

FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of the equipment taken along the broken line AB-C-D-EFGHI-L-M-N in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows a sectional view taken along the broken line O-P-Q-R-S-T in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 partly shows a sectional view taken along the broken line U-V in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 shows a detail of the aforementioned part of the equipment;

FIG. 8 is an electro-mechanical diagram for equipment according to the preceding figures; and

FIG. 9 shows a time-phase graph for the moving parts corresponding to one operating cycle of the equipment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 shows, diagrammatically, the equipment for feeding containers or trays of cigarettes, linked up to a cigarette packeting machine of the type which operates at a high unit output speed, that is to say, for example, of the type according to U.S. Pat. No. 3,628,309 produced by the same Applicant as herein, which is fitted with a mechanism for charging the supply hoppers according to U.S. Pat. No. 3,486,647 by the same Applicant.

In the layout in FIG. 1, the said packeting machine can be seen in part on the left hand side, next to the infeed equipment forming the subject of the invention, which fundamentally consists of two constructionally similar lifting devices El and E2, practically in alignment with the packeting machine. Certain details of devices El and E2 and more about this will be said at the time a description of them is given.

Shown above the said lifting devices El and E2 there is a trnasfer and charging group T for conveying the cigarette containers to the from the packeting machine and this is of the type covered by the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,486,647.

The said transfer and charging group fundamentally consists of a rotatable head mechanism TO, by means of which pre-determined quantities of cigarettes placed in containers supplied to the said rotatable head are discharged into the supply hopper TA on the packeting machine, following an order of succession timed to suit the removal of empty containers on the part of the said rotatable head.

The task of feeding full containers of cigarettes to the rotatable head and of removing from it the empty containers is, as stated above, entrusted to the aforementioned transfer group T which is supported by the frame of the packeting machine and comprises a pusher-follower, shown in its entirety as SA, mentioned previously in said U.S. Pat. Nos 3,486,647 and 3,679,079, screwed to a threaded bar 10] carried rotatably without it being able to slide in an axial direction.

Due to the rotation of the threaded bar 101 occasioned by a gearbox 102 carried by the support structure of the transfer group T and mechanically linked to a pulley I03 keyed tothe said bar.101, the pusher-follower SA is only able to transverse the said bar 101=and it has two arms SA and SA horizontally spaced one from the other at a distance which is slightly greater than the front dimension of a containerof cigarettes, provided with a thrust and/or follower wall 104 and 105, respectively.

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 7 a descriptionwill now be given of the two lifting devices E1 and E2 which, as previously stated, are fundamentally identical with the exception of certain details, mention of which will be made during the description. I

The two lifting devices or trolleys CE, CE cooperates with belt conveyors TC and TC, respectively, (see FIG. 1), the former moving containers in-the direction of the arrow f shown in FIG. 2 and the latter in the direction of the arrow f, again shown in FIG. 2. The lifting device trolleys CE and CE,are provided respectively, the former for carrying the containers filled with cigarettes, one at a time, to the transfer position required for the rotatable head TC and the latter for receiving the empty containers, one at atime, from the said rotatable head TG and transferring them to the conveyor TC so that they can be returned. According to the invention a pair of arms BA is provided to hold successive containers present on the conveyors TC and a similar pair of arms BA is provided to similarly hold containers on conveyors TC. Advantageously these container holding arms are associated with follower arms A and A, respectively, the former for accompanying, one at a time, the containers present on the conveyor TC to the lifting device trolley CE and the latter, with the lifting device trolley CE waiting below, for discharging the downwardly transported container from the lifting device until it is in the grip of the halting arms BA;

Each of the two conveyors TC and TC,'see FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, comprises two pairs of "belts 1 and 2, one pair on each' side of each container/Each belt is trained around a corresponding pair of pulleys 3'and 4, see FIG. 5, rigidly mounted in pairs on shafts 5, 6, 7 and 8, all of which with the exception of shaft 6, supported by the sides 9 of a supporting structure 10 (see FIG." 3)

secured to the frame of the lifting device to which the conveyor is related, whilst the shaft 6 idles on the shaft The said belts l and 2 are driven by a pulley 12 idling on the shaft 8, and connected "to a clutch 13, keyed to the said shaft 8. The shaft is supported, externally to the structure 10, by an arm 10 fixed-to the said structure 10. The clutch passes motion on to the pulley- 12 and consequently, through a transmission by'means of the belts 2, to the shaft 7. a

The inner shaft 7 has keyed on to itagear'wheel 14, see FIG. 5, which meshes with another and lower gearwheel 14 rigidly mounted on a shaft l5, see FIG; 3, rotatably supported by't he sides 9, the said shaft 15 also having keyed to it a clutch '16, see FIG.'2, connected to a gearwheel l7 whichmeshes with an upper gearwheel 18 coaxial to and integral with the outer shaft 6, see FIGS. 3 and 5. The mechanical connections provided by the parts 1414l516-17 and 18 make it possible, in this way, for the drive to be taken from the shaft 7to the shaft 6 and, through a transmission by means of the belts 1, to the shaft 5. The pulley 12 is powered by a 1 4 belt 19 trained around the said pulley l2 and a pulley F20, see FIG. 4; rigidly mounted on a shaft '21 rotatably carried by the frame 11. v

- The'pulley 20,s"ee again FIG. 4,is, in turn, powered by a motor 22 located insidea turret 23'placed above the frame 11 and fixed to it, the shaft of which has keyed to it a driving pulley 24 mechanically connected, by means ofa belt 25, to a flywheel 26 rigidly mounted on a shaft 27 rotatably supported by the frame 11, the said shaft 27 also having keyed to it a gearwheel 28 which 'meshes with another gearwheel 29 rigidly mounted on a shaft'30, also rotatably supported by the frame 11, which has keyed to one end'a gearwheel 31 which meshes with, another gearwheel 32 keyed on to the aforementioned shaft 21.

In between the gearwheel3l and the gearwheel 32, the transmission driving the pulley 12 for the conveyor TC is provided with an intermediate gearwheel (not shown on the drawings) which enables the direction of the motion passed on to the pulley 12 to be reversed and thus the conveyor TC to move containers in the direction of the arrow f as shown in FIG. 2, that is to say in the reverse direction to that of the conveyor TC, represented by the arrow j which is also visible in FIG. 2. I

As stated earlier on, the follower arms A and A have the task of accompanying the filled containers present on the conveyor TC to the lifting device trolley CE and of discharging the containers emptied by the lifting device trolley CE! on to the conveyor TC. Each of the said arms, see FIGS; 3 and 6, is fundamentally formed by a-structure 33 which has connected to it two rods 34 operating above 'the conveyors TC and TC, spaced horizontally'away from each other at a distance equal to that between the belts 2. On the front of each of said rods there is a support surface 34 with which to grip the respective'containers. The said arms A and A are given an alternating rectilineal motion longitudinally to the conveyors TC and TC and for each of the lifting devices E1 and E2 the drive for the said arms is derived from a cam 35, see FIGS..3 and 4, on one of the lateral "faces of-agearwheel' 36-keyed on to a shaft 37, rotatably supported by the frame. 11, meshing with a gearwheel 38 rigidly mounted on the conveyor drive shaft 30 and being made to rotate with the shaft itself. A pin 39 slides loosely in the slot in the cam 35 and engages a lever 40, oneend of which is fastened in an oscillating fashion to the shaft 30, whilst the other terminates in a guided'by two rollers 46, see FIG. 4, rigidly mounted on "the ends of the shaft 43 and sliding between two runners 47 machined in the opposite inner lateral faces of the support 45. v

In the foregoing mention has already been made of the fact that the pairs of holding arms BA and BA have the task 'of halting, under certain conditions, the move-' ment of the'containers on'the conveyors TC and TC.

I The-said pairs of arms BA and BA operate above the conveyors TC and TC, respectively, in such a way as to act as jaws on the lateral faces of the containers, henceforth referred to herein as C? and CV, at points approximately corresponding to centre lines of the said containers.

A description of the said pairs of arms BA and BA, which are constructionally identical, will now be given with particular reference to FIG. 5 which, as stated, shows a view of the lifting device El along the broken line OPQR-ST shown in FIG. 3.

It is understood that in FIG. 5 only the pair of arms BA and their drive units are visible and that the pair of arms BA belonging to the lifting device E2 and their drive units, are identical.

Each arm of the pair of arms BA is formed by a bell crank lever 48 pivoted at 49 to a bracket 50 fixed to the frame 11. One extremity of each lever 48 has fixed to it a corresponding rod 51, the free end of which carries a sliding block 52. These sliding blocks 52, as we shall see later on, are able to press against the opposite lateral faces of the filled containers CP (or in the case of the lifting device E2, of the empty containers CV, see FIG. 1) as the containers reach a point corresponding to where the sliding blocks are positioned and to firmly hold the said containers for a certain period of time. The gripping action of the said sliding blocks 52 against the lateral faces of the containers CP and CV is determined by two springs 53, one end of each spring being fastened to the respective lever 48 and the other, to the frame 11. The said springs bias the levers 48 to obtain the gripping action of the sliding blocks 52 on the engaged container. It is, therefore, obvious that in order to free the container CP or CV from the grip of the arms BA or BA, or in other words from that of the sliding blocks 52, the action of the springs 53 has to be annulled.

For this purpose, two identical earns 54 are rigidly mounted on the cam shaft 37, which also carries cam 35, see FIGS. 4 and 5. The said cams 54 constantly work in conjunction with rollers 55, each mounted on a respective pivot carried by a fork 57, one end of which is a pin 58 which slides inside a support 59 fixed to the frame 11. The other end of the pin 58 works in conjunction with a roller 60 loosely mounted on the extremity 48 of the respective bell crank lever 48 in such a way that, operated by the cams 54, the pins 58, compelled to traverse inside the support 59, are pushed up against the aforementioned extremities 48 of the levers 48 thereby causing, as the action of the springs 53 is annulled, the rotation around the respective fulcrum 49 in the reverse direction to that in which the said levers biased by the springs 53.

The traversing of the pins 58 is guided by rollers 61 mounted on the ends of the pivot of the rollers. The rollers 55, run in guides 62 constituted by the supports 59. Since the trolleys CE and CE are constructionally identical, as is their respective drive mechanism, the following description is referred in particular to just one trolley, that is to say to the lifting device trolley CE which works in conjunction with the lifting device E1, visible in FIGS. 1 to 7.

Each of the said lifting device trolleys CE and Ce consists of a flat member 63 which extends in a plane perpendicular to the surface on which the containers slide on the conveyor TC (conveyor TC in the case of the trolley CE). Member 63 is fixed to a support structure 64, one arm of which 64 is hinged to a movable support 65 via a shaft 66. The flat member 63 has in it slits 63 through which the rods 34 of the follower arm A pass (follower arm A in the case of the lifting device E2), see FIGS. 3, 6 and 7 at a lower extremity of member 63 there are three coplanar surfaces, provided by support means 67 which form the support base for the containersCP as they are being taken to the lifting device trolley CE (or in the case of the lifting device E2, for the containers CV as they are being taken to the lifting device trolley CE during the discharge phase of the said containersfrom the rotatable head TG).

The movable support 65 is able to slide up or down on a shaft 68 axially with respect to it and it is fastened at 69 to a belt 70 trained around a pulley 71 keyed on to the shaft of a gearbox 72 carried by a support 106 fixed to the upper part of the turret 23, see FIGS. 2 and 3, and around a pulley 73 rigidly mounted on a shaft 74 carried by a support 75 fixed to the frame 11, see FIGS. 3 and 7. The gearbox 72, as will be seen more clearly in due course, gives the pulley 71 a rotatory motion which alternates in direction in succession and as a result of this, the belt 70 causes the trolley CE to move up or down on the shaft 68.

The lower part of the shaft 68 is fixed to the support 75 and the upper part, to the upper part of the turret 23.

In order to prevent the movable support 65 from rotating around the shaft 68 a guide bar 76 is provided and this extends parallel to the shaft itself. Two opposite faces of the said guide bar are in contact ,with two rollers 77, each mounted on a shaft 78 carried by the support 65 (see FIGS. 5 and 7).

As can be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3, the conveyors TC and TC are placed at an angle with respect to a hypothetical horizontal plane and the purpose of this is to prevent the containers CP and CV resting on the said conveyors, from tipping up whilst being transferred to the trolley CE and out from the trolley CE, respectively.

It can also be seen that the said angle is greater than that at which the filled containers CP, gripped by the pusher-follower SA, are taken to the rotatable head TG and similarly greater than that at which the empty containers are discharged from the rotatable head TG, see FIG. 3.

In order that it be possible to vary the angle at which the containers CP and CV are placed during the transfer phase from the conveyor TC to the pusher-follower SA and during the transfer phase from the pusher-follower SA to the conveyor TC, for each lifting device El and E2, two shaped guide bars 79 are provided, opposite faces of which are contacted by two rollers 80 pivoted to the arms 64' of the aforementioned structure 64, see FIGS. 3, 5 and 7.

It thus ensues that when the trolley CE and CE traverses up or down, the rollers 80 constantly follow the guide bars 79, thereby obliging the structure 64 and thus the lifting device trolley CE or CE to tilt about the shaft 66 and, for example, to go from the lower waiting position shown in FIG. 3, to the upper waiting position shown with dotted lines on the same drawing.

A tripping member 81 connected to each trolley lifting device acts as a feeler for tripping two microswitches 82 and 83, see FIG. 3, for deenergizing the motor of the gearbox 72 once the lifting device trolley has reached either the maximum upward travel position or themaximum downward travel position. As stated earlier on, FIG. 8 shows a possible electromechanical diagram, including these motors 72, for realizing the operating conditions for a plant for the packeting of cigarettes, in which the new infeed equipment is incorporated.

In respect of the mechanism for operating the rotatable head TG and the'follower group SA, for a complete understanding of which it is necessary to consult the aforementioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,486,647 and 3,679,079 in the name of the same Applicants as herein, as well as in respect of the supply hopper TA,a detector unit is shown and this comprises a lamp 183 with a device for projecting a luminous ray 182 towards a photocell 184 positioned in such a way as to be hit by the luminous ray 182 when, as stated in the above mentioned U.S. patents and as will be seen from the following, the cigarettes fed to the said hopper TA drop to a level below that of the luminous ray 182. Furthermore, the said detector unit is provided with an amplifier device 185, in respect of which a micro contact 190 is shown and this is movable from a closed position 190 190 to an open position 190 190 The said amplifier device is interlocked to a micro-switch 186 which, in turn, is interlocked to a deivce for setting and cutting out the operation of the rotatable head TG, when manually turned to the correct position.

FIG; 9, as previously stated, shown the time-phase graph for the moving parts corresponding to one operating cycle of a plant for the packeting of cigarettes in which the equipment in question is incorporated: the thick horizontal lines represent the waiting times for the said moving parts whilst the angled lines, which are also thick, represent their movement times.

In the above mentioned graph, the operating cycle for all the moving parts in the plant in question is referred, as can be seen from the graph itself, to a time of 23 seconds, that is to say to the time it takes a packeting machine to packet the contents of a container filled with cigarettes.

The operation of the plant in which the above mentioned equipment is incorporated, based on the given time-phase graph, occurs in the following way:

According to the aforementioned graph and to the electro-mechanical diagram in FIG. 8, the operating cycle for the complete plant commences with the pusher-follower SA located by the rotatable head TG, the lifting device trolleys CE and CE in the maximum upward travel waiting position, the follower arms A and A in the forward and rear waiting position, respectively, the arms BA and BA either in the free container position or with the former in the free position and the latter in the locking position and with the belts 1 and 2 of the conveyors TC and TC at a standstill.

The rotatable head TG rotates in order to supply, in accordance with the information given in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,486,647 and 3,679,079, a container of cigarettes inside the hopper TA and trips the micro-switch M, see FIG. 8, thus closing the electrical supply circuit and energizing the remote contactor TLl, as a consequence of which the gearbox 102 through which the bar horizontal threaded 101 is rotated, is operated. In this way, the pusher-follower SA is made to move so as to discharge from the rotatable head ,TG the empty container CV which, on account of the rotation of the rotatable head TG, was brought between the arms SA and SA of the said pusher-follower.

The pusher-follower SA traverses on the bar 101 in the direction of the arrow a" in FIG. 1, until the said empty container CV has been brought to a point corresponding to the lifting device E2, or to be more precise, where it rests on the lifting device trolley CE. As the pusher-follower reaches the end of its travel, it trips a micro-switch M1 thereby causing the remote contactor TLl to be de-energized and the gearbox 102 to come to a halt. Simultaneously with the opening of the microswitch M1, its associated contacts C and C are closed and this brings about the excitation of the remote contactors TL2 and TL3 which supply the gearbox 72 of the lifting devices E1 and E2. The consequence of this is that the lifting device trolleys CE and CE, pulled along by their belt 70, move downwards until arriving, with the base support for the containers formed by the surfaces 67, level with the belts 2 of the conveyors TC and TC.

When the lifting device trolleys CE and CE reach the maximum downward travel position, the feeler devices 81 trip the micro-switches 83 thereby causing the remote contactors TL2 and TL3 to be de-energized and the gearbox 72 to consequently cease operating.

Wlth the opening of the contacts of the micro-switch 83, the associated contacts C2 close and this causes the energization of the remote contactors TL4 and TLS, thereby allowing the conveyor motors 22 for both of the lifting devices El and E2, shown on FIG. 8 as 22' and 22", to be excited. In this way, for both lifting devices E1 and E2, the conveyors TC and TC, respectively, are set in motion at the same time, as are the follower arms A and A and the halting arms BA and BA. More about this will be said in due course. More precisely, insofar as the lifting device E1 is concerned, the following are the operational phases:

Upon energizing the motor 22, the arms BA which, under the control of the earns 54, are in the non blockin g position, are gradually subjected to the action of the springs 53 and thus, as stated earlier on, the sliding blocks 52 press against the lateral surfaces of the container CP located at a point corresponding to where they are positioned. In every operating cycle this is the container which has to be taken, in the subsequent cycle, to the rotatable head T0. 'In this phase, through the belt 19, the belts l and 2 of the conveyor TC derive their movement from the pulley 12 but this only brings about the movement of the belts 2 whilst, because of the pressure applied by the arms BA, the containers CP resting on the belts 1 are unable to move forward and this causes the clutch 16 to slip.

In the meantime, as a result of the rotation of the gearwheel 36 the cam 35 causes the lever 40 to rotate and this obliges the arm A to traverse in the direction of the arrow 172" on FIG. 3. This movement continues up until the time when the container CP', free to move forward because on the belts 2, is carried on the lifting device trolley CE.

As far as the lifting device E2 is concerned, at the time the motor 22" is energized and assuming that on the conveyor TC there are empty containers CV, the arms BA not actively affected by the earns 54, find themselves subjected to the action of their springs 53 and with their sliding blocks 52 they hold on to the last of the containers to be discharged on to the belts l and 2, in this case, for example, the container CV.

The result of this is that whilst the movement of the pulley 12 continues, again for the lifting device E2 the clutch 16 slips and consequently the belts 1 cease mov-' ing whilst the container CV, previously carried downwards by the lifting device trolley CE, rests on the belts 2 and is moved along by them. In this way the said container CV follows the movement of the belts 2 of the considered conveyor TC, this movement being accompanied by the follower arm A which moves 9 under the thrust of the respective lever 40 which is subjected to the action of the cam 35 machined on the gearwheel 36 belonging to the lifting device E2.

When the considered container CV is almost up against the front wall of the container CV which is in the grip of the sliding blocks52 of the arms BA, the latter rotate under the action of the respective cam 54, thus freeing the container from the hold of the sliding blocks 52. This allows the belts 1 to move and to drag along all the containers on the conveyor TC. Once the container CV, discharged from the lifting device trolley CE arrives at a point corresponding to where the sliding blocks 52 of the arms BA are positioned, the cams 54 cease operating and thus the said arms return to their original position, thereby allowing the sliding blocks 52 to block on the conveyor the considered container CV previously discharged from the lifting device trolley CE.

In practice the moving parts of the two lifting devices El and E2 undergo identical movements at the same time, except for the inversion in the direction of movement of the belts l and 2 of the individual conveyors TC and TC.

As previously stated, when the two lifting device trolleys CE and CE arrive at the maximum downward travel position, the relevant feeler devices trip the micro-switches 83.

One of the said micro-switches is provided with a contact C3 for energizing a remote contactor TL8 and thus opening the supply to the gearbox 102, causing the rotation of the threaded bar 101 in the opposite direction to that in which the said bar rotated so that the pusher-follower SA traverses to the lifting device E2. In this way the pusher-follower SA moves in the reverse direction to that formerly taken in order to travel to a point corresponding to where the lifting device E1 is located.

Upon the completion of one rotation cycle during which the aforementioned working phases take place, the cams 54 for each lifting device El and E2 trip the feeler of two micro-switches 90, one for each lifting device, thereby causing the remote contactors TL6 and TL7, respectively, to be energized.

With the excitation of the remote contactors TL6 and TL7, the gearbox 72 is set in motion but the change in direction causes, through the belts 70, the upward transfer of the lifting device trolleys CE and CE. This results in the feeler devices 81 ceasing to trip the micro-switches 83, the contacts C2 and C3 of which return to the opening position and cause the remote contactors TL4, TLS and TL8 to be de-energized as well as the consequent halting of the motors 22, shown, as previously stated, on FIG. 8 as 22' and 22" and the disengagement of the gearbox 102. The latter occurs at the very moment when the pusher-follower SA is at a point corresponding to where the lifting device E1 is located.

When the lifting device trolleys CE and CE reach the maximum upward travel position, the feeler devices 81 trip the aforementioned micro-switches 82 and this causes the remote contactors TL6 and TL7 to be deenergized and thus the gearbox motor 72 is deenergized.

Upon completion of this phase, the container CP which is resting on the trolley CE also finds itself in between the arms SA and 8A, of the pusher-follower SA.

When the lifting device trolley CE reaches the maximum upward position, a micro-switch 91 is tripped and this causes the remote contactor TL8 to again be energized. Through the gearbox 102 the bar 101 is rotated once more and as a consequence of this the pusher-follower SA transfers the container CP to the rotatable head TG.

A micro limit switch 92 again disengages the gearbox 102 once the container CP has reached the rotatable head TG charging position.

The follower arms A and A (see FIG. 9) start returning, the arms BA start closing and the arms BA start opening during the upward travel of the lifting device trolleys CE and CE and whilst they remain in their highest position. The return travel of the follower arm A continues up until the time when the two support surfaces 34 knock against the front surface of the container CP which is in the grip of the sliding blocks 52 of the arms BA, that is to :say the container that is now called CP.

At this juncture the cams 54 take an active part and by pressing on the pins 58, they cause them to touch the ends 48 of the levers 48, thereby obliging the said levers and, in consequence, the arms BA, to rotate around the pivots 49 and to free the container CP from the hold of the sliding blocks 52. I

The cam 35 now reverses the movement of the follower arm A whilst, due to the ceased action of the arms BA, the movement of the pulley 12 is transmitted to the belts 1 and 2. In this way, the container CP and the subsequent containers CP follow the movement of the belts 1 and 2 whilst the container CP moves, resting on the rods 34 of the follower arm A, which prevent it from falling or tipping over. The cycle is repeated when the photocell 184 again calls for the supply hopper TA to be charged and the rotatable head TG rotates in accordance with the information given in the previously mentioned patents in the name of the same Applicants as herein.

The conveyors TC and TC" are provided with two micro switches 94 and 95, see FIGS. 3 and 5, for signalling that there are no full containers to be transferred to the rotatable head TG and that the maximum load of empty containers has been discharged on to the conveyor TC, respectively, with the purpose of manually or mechanically doing the necessary, for taking filled containers from the transfer and returning empty containers to it.

In the circuit illustrated in FIG. 8, two micro-switches Pl, operated manually by means of pushbuttons, are also provided so that it be possible to stop the equipment going at any moment.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for moving cigarette containers to and from a supply hopper charging mechanism of a cigarette packeting machine, comprising;

first and second conveyor means for, respectively,

approximately horizontally moving uniform containers, filled with cigarettes, to a first lower rest position, and similarly removing such containers, which have been emptied of cigarettes, from a second lower rest position;

first and second trolley means for respectively and cyclically, first, receiving the filled containers in the first lower rest position and lifting them to a first upper rest position for transfer to' a supply hopper charging mechanism of a cigarette packeting machine and, second, receiving the emptied 1 1 containers in a second upper rest position and lowering them to the second lower rest position for return to the second conveyor means; pusher-follower means for cyclically transferring the filled containers from the first upper rest position to the hopper charging mechanism and cyclically transferring the emptied containers from the hopper charging mechanism to the second upper rest position; and

container holding means operable in synchronism with the trolley and pusher-follower means for releasably gripping and holding successive containers on the first and second conveyor means in respective positions each horizontally spaced from the respective trolley means and contiguous to the respective lower rest position, to enable smooth upward transfer of one container from the respective lower rest position by the respective trolley means, and smooth downward transfer of another container by the respective trolley means to the respective lower rest position free of interference by the moving and removing of other containers on the respective conveyor means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said container holding means comprise two pairs of lever means, each pair pivotable above one of said conveyor means for laterally, releasably gripping a container, contiguous with container in the respective lower rest position, on the respective conveyor means.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein each lever means comprises a bell-crank lever, a lever biasing spring, and means for counter-actuating the spring, all spaced from the respective conveyor means by the respective trolley means, for the releasable gripping of a container.

4. Apparatus according to .claim 3 wherein each counter-actuating means comprises a cam synchronized with the lifting and pusher-follower means.

5. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein each conveyor means comprises a pair of conveyors aligned with one another, one of the conveyors being directly synchronized with the lifting and pusher-follower means and the other conveyor having slip-clutch means for operating it in general synchronism with the lifting and pusher-follower means, below the lever means of the respective container holding means.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each trolley means comprises a container platform registrable with the respective conveyor means and with the pusher-follower means, and a trolley back plate having aperture defining means and being engagable with a container on the platform; the corresponding conveyor means including container follower arms movable through the apertures defined by the aperture-defining means; and means for reciprocably moving said follower arms through said apertures toward the conveyor means, in synchronism with the operation of the respective container holding means, into contact with the container contiguous with the respective lower resting position.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein each means for moving follower arms comprises cam means spaced from the respective conveyor means by the respective trolley means. 

1. Apparatus for moving cigarette containers to and from a supply hopper charging mechanism of a cigarette packeting machine, comprising; first and second conveyor means for, respectively, approximately horizontally moving uniform containers, filled with cigarettes, to a first lower rest position, and similarly removing such containers, which have been emptied of cigarettes, from a second lower rest position; first and second trolley means for respectively and cyclically, first, receiving the filled containers in the first lower rest position and lifting them to a first upper rest position for transfer to a supply hopper charging mechanism of a cigarette packeting machine and, second, receiving the emptied containers in a second upper rest position and lowering them to the second lower rest position for return to the second conveyor means; pusher-follower means for cyclically transferring the filled containers from the first upper rest position to the hopper charging mechanism and cyclically transferring the emptied containers from the hopper charging mechanism to the second upper rest position; and container holding means operable in synchronism with the trolley and pusher-follower means for releasably gripping and holding successive containers on the first and second conveyor means in respective positions each horizontally spaced from the respective trolley means and contiguous to the respective lower rest position, to enable smooth upward transfer of one container from the respective lower rest position by the respective trolley means, and smooth downward transfer of another container by the respective trolley means to the respective lower rest position free of interference by the moving and removing of other containers on the respective conveyor means.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said container holding means comprise two pairs of lever means, each pair pivotable above one of said conveyor means for laterally, releasably gripping a container, contiguous with container in the respective lower rest position, on the respective conveyor means.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein each lever means comprises a bell-crank lever, a lever biasing spring, and means for counter-actuating the spring, all spaced from the respective conveyor means by the respective trolley means, for the releasable gripping of a container.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein each counter-actuating means comprises a cam synchronized with the lifting and pusher-follower means.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein each conveyor means comprises a pair of conveyors aligned with one another, one of the conveyors being directly synchronized with the lifting and pusher-follower means and the other conveyor having slip-clutch means for operating it in general synchronism with the lifting and pusher-follower means, below the lever means of the respective container holding means.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each trolley means comprises a container platform registrable with the respective conveyor means and with the pusher-follower means, and a trolley back plate having aperture defining means and being engagable with a container on the platform; the corresponding conveyor means including container follower arms movable through the apertures defined by the aperture-defining means; and means for reciprocably moving said follower arms through said apertures toward the conveyor means, in synchronism with the operation of the respective container holding means, into contact with the container contiguous with the respective lower resting position.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 6 whErein each means for moving follower arms comprises cam means spaced from the respective conveyor means by the respective trolley means. 